Leviton Expands Learning Lab Series with Life-Saving Electrical Safety Guide for Industrial and Commercial Facilities
Little Neck, NY, August 23, 2005 - Leviton Manufacturing, one of the industry's leading electrical safety advocates, has expanded its Learning Lab Series with its new Electrical Safety Guide Program. Designed for classroom based instruction, the one-hour presentation provides critical training for attendees on how to prevent serious electrical injuries. Particular emphasis is placed on teaching attendees how to avoid electrical hazards in the workplace and take preventative actions that will mitigate the dangers of arc flash and arc blast -- two highly destructive occurrences that can erupt with explosive force. Arc flash and arc blast are capable of producing temperatures in excess of 17,000 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly twice the heat of the sun's surface.
The center piece of the presentation is a 32-page reference work prepared by Ray Jones, the noted electrical safety consultant, chairman of the NFPA Technical Committee and co-author of The NFPA 70E 2004 Handbook. The Leviton Electrical Safety Guide outlines a basic electrical safety plan that points the way to establishing an Electrical Safety Team and Manager within each facility. The Electrical Safety Guide explains a wide variety of electrical hazards, offering effective strategies for safeguarding workers and the public from them. It also consolidates within it both the current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules and regulations. It includes a laminated self-inspection check list, which participants can use to evaluate their work environment.
According to Jim Noonan, Senior Marketing Communications Manager for Commercial and Industrial Products, "The cost of electrical shock in the workplace today, both in human suffering and business losses is staggering. Nearly 30,000 electrical shock incidents and 400 electrocutions are recorded each year in the workplace. Since two-thirds of these occurrences are caused by unsafe work practices, they can easily be prevented through proper training."
Part of Leviton's comprehensive roster of Safety Lab training programs, the Electrical Safety Guide Program is an ideal training course for anyone who uses, installs, services, or maintains industrial equipment. It is also recommended for factory personnel and employees who work near industrial equipment, proprietors, facility managers, human resource managers, on-site medical personnel, and workers in hospitals and academic environments who have access and exposure to electrical systems and equipment. Attendees receive a Certificate of Completion as confirmation of their attendance at the presentation.
Leviton has a long record of achievement in the field of electrical safety. As far back as 1972, with the introduction of Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), Leviton has been the leader in the manufacturing and sale of life saving GFCI products. According to David Wallis, OSHA Director of Electrical, Electronic, and Mechanical Safety Standard, GFCIs saved between 600-975 lives in the construction business alone from 1990-1996.
"Though there are many rules already in place, electrocution is still the fifth leading cause of industrial fatalities each year. We have to make employees themselves aware of the inherent dangers that they face within their workplace: exposure to energized equipment, opened electrical cabinets, frayed wiring, overloads, surges, spikes, application violations and other hazards," Noonan added.
For more information about the Electrical Safety Guide Learning Lab or other training programs, contact Leviton Manufacturing Co., 59-25 Little Neck Parkway, Little Neck, NY 11362-2591, or visit our Web site at www.leviton.com.
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